Will David Villa Move To Manchester United or Chelsea?

Following recent comments from the Spanish starlet there has been renewed speculation regarding a possible move to the Premier League for David Villa.

Speaking to the Times, Villa revealed why he wasn't looking to switch to England last summer. "Quite simply, I rejected the possibility of moving abroad at that moment because my wife was pregnant and it didn't seem right to leave."

His subsequent praise for English football indicated that he might now be tempted to move to a Premier League club.

"I like the Premier League a lot. It's the league I follow the most along with La Liga and I've got a lot of friends playing there. There are a lot of globally important teams there that play very good football."

At the front of the line to sign the talented striker are Manchester United and Chelsea, although there are others English Clubs that could potentially join the scramble for his signature.

Despite losing Ronaldo and Tevez in the summer, it's been defensively that Manchester United have struggled this term. The Devils have in fact improved their goals per game ratio this year, from 1.8 last year to 2.2 so far this season. The ratio of goal conceded has however gone up nearly 50 percent, from 0.6 to 0.9 per match

The reason for United's recent defensive fragility has been having so many defenders simultaneously injured. With players starting to return, Alex Ferguson may believe this isn't the area that needs reinforcement.

Up front is another story. Michel Owens Manchester United career has yet to really bare fruit. So far he has only scored two league goals, although he has only started four times in 15 appearances. His lack of starts though is probably the best indication of Ferguson's assessment of his capabilities.

While Berbatov might be one of the most skillful forwards in the premier league, he has yet to live up to his £31 million price tag. This may be because he's been playing through the pain of a knee complaint. Unfortunately he may now need surgery on it, which would sideline him for three months.

David Villa would certainly fit into the current United set-up and could be an ideal pacy partner for Rooney. Rooney's ability to find space around the box and Villas incisive runs, could be the combination that fires United to success.

The one problem, surprisingly, could be finance. The owners are seriously struggling with debt. While the club states that the money from Ronaldo's sale is available for transfers, there are doubts from commentators that this is true.

One club for whom money wouldn't be a problem is Chelsea, but would they enter the race to acquire Villas signature?

Currently the south-west London outfit have two of the worlds best strikers and scoring goals isn't a problem for them. However, with their two first choice strikers over 30 years old and a transfer ban imminent, they'd probably like to sign the striker while they still can.

Reports suggest, though, that Valencia would not consider selling the player till the end of the season.

Another stumbling block could be manager Carlo Ancelotti having to eat humble pie. Ancelotti has openly stated he will not sign any players in the January window. He even went as far to say that if he did, he'd do the forfeit of running around the training ground naked.

Arsenal had previously been linked with David Villa, in the summer of 2008, after the player had praised the Gunners style of play, saying, "I watch the Premier League a lot and the team I'm most attracted to is definitely Arsenal."

"Their brilliant one and two-touch football and the whole style of rapid counter-attack which dominates the top level of the Premier League now is the one that suits my game best of all."

Despite this praise, it's unlikely Wenger will dig deep enough into his pockets to pay the £30 million plus price tag to get his signature.

That kind of price might also inhibit financially troubled Liverpool from tabling a bid. Villa would certainly enjoy playing alongside his Spanish national team strike partner, as he has himself hinted.

The current economic circumstances at Liverpool would, however, probably make it more likely that we'd see Torres departing than Villa arriving. That said, co-owner Hicks Snr recently released a more positive statement, saying: "The summer window will be big. We know we need more depth on the squad and will address it this summer."

Manchester City is the last Premiership club worth a mention. They obviously have the funds and he's exactly the kind of big name target that they've recently pursed. In fact he is a big name they've recently pursed.

Even if Manchester City secure a Champions League place, I still don't think the prospect of playing at Eastlands would be any more attractive for Villa than it was last summer.

On balance, I can't really see David Villa joining a Premier League club in the near future. If he was to, though, it'd be Manchester United followed by Chelsea that would be odds-on favorites to sign him.